The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-16
A YOUNG HERO.

Margaret Eytinge, in Harper's young People.
A YOUNG HERO.
History of the Work of Hiram Dudley Buck
in the Saving Of Human Lives.
In the long and honorable roll OF
those who have saved the lives OF
others at the imminent risk of their
own. it is doubtful if you will find an
other record to match that Of young
Hiram Dudley Buck. There are men
whose occupations give them peculiar
opportunities for imperiling their own
lives for those of their fellow men; and
there are women too-for who can for
get the noble work of the English
Grace Darling and her American coun-
terpart, Ida Lewis?-whose names have
been added to the roll of honor while
they have been yet young; but seldom,
if ever, has it been given to a lad to
save four persons from death by drown
ing, before completing his sixteenth
year, as has been the case with the sub
ject of this sketch.
Hiram Dudley Buck was born at
Grown Point, Essex County, New York,
in 1868. It was when he was only ten
years old that he was called upon to
perform the first of the brave deeds
which are to be recorded here. His
sister Effie, a girl a few years older
than himself, was bathing in Putnam's
creek, near their home in Essex County,
in company with some friends. In
order to keep afoat in deep water she
had fastened a rubber life-preserver
under her arms, and this treacherous aid
slipped from its place, and, becoming
entangled with her feet, threw her
head under water. Dudley, the ten
year-old boy, was attracted from dis
lance by the frantic cries of his sisters
playmates, and running up, he plunged
into the deep water, and despite the
drowning girls greater size and weight,
succeeded in bringing her ashore.
The following summer Dudley and a
number of young friends were fishing
off a high dam at Crown Point Centre.
A careless action on the part Of one OF
the boys threw Freddie B. into the
seething waters below the dam; and
though there were perhaps dozen boys
present, only one Of them had the cour-
age to leap in to Frcddie's assistance.
AS soon as he realized his friends peril
for he knew that the boy could not
swim Dudley unhesitatingly sprang
into the water, caught the struggling
boy as he rose to the surface, and at
length brought him ashore, though not
until his strength was almost ex-
hausted.
In August, 1884, a party of young
people were bathing in Schroon Lake.
among whom were Sam and Kate
R and Dudley Buck. Sam could swim
little, but his sister was more daring
than prudent, and declaring that she
could go where her brother went, she
followed him into deep water. In a
few moments she was in distress, and
clutching Sam, who had turned to as
sist her, she dragged him down with
her. Dudley was resting on the bank,
but as soon as he saw the peril his
friends were in he Owed after them,
and found them actually at the bottom
Of the lake. With great difficulty he
disengaged the girls arms from hel
brothers neck, and brought the two
to the surface. Kate's instinct Of
self-preservation, which but fol
Dudley had drowned both her brother
and herself, now endangered the life o
their gallant rescuer, and it was onl,
with extreme difficulty that Dudley
could control her sufficiently to bring
himself and her safely into shallow
water.
+ Such acts of gallantry as have beef
here recited, all performed by a lad un
der sixteen years of age, are worthy o
/ whatever public recognition it is in tn
power of a grateful government t
bestow. It is pleasant, therefore, to b
able to record the fact that the Cor
gress of the United States of Aneric
has awarded to young Dudle
Buck its silver life-saving medal
The silver medal which Dudley thus re
ceived is the highest honor that tn
Government can bestow, the gol
medal provided for under the acts {
Congress being awarded only for sa,
ing life in saltwater. The med;
awarded is of sterling silver, and abo,
twice the size of silver dollar. Hiral
Dudley Buck wears another med'
which he must value highly. It is
five-pointed star surrounded by
wreath, all in solid gold, and bears tn
inscription: 'Life-saving medal pr
scented TO Hiram Dudley Buck fl
heroism In rescuing from drownir
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. y
It was presented to him by the TO,
friends who owe their lives to b
| courage, Aeroism. aud humanity.